Independence police shoot at suspects following stolen vehicle chase

An Independence police officer opened fire and shot a suspect Friday afternoon.

The wounded suspect was taken to the hospital and another suspect was taken into custody.

The shooting was reported about 4 p.m. in the area of Missouri Highway 24 and Crysler Street.

Officer Tom Gentry said police were pursuing a vehicle when they noticed it had weapons inside and realized it was stolen. The police chase that lead up to the shooting took place over an area spanning six to 10 blocks.

When the suspects' vehicle got to the area, police believe it hit a telephone police, which knocked out its back tire. The suspects were unable to make it up the steep hill on Crysler, so they stopped and got out.

Gentry said that's when the suspects got into some sort of exchange with police. Officers then fired at the suspects, hitting one of them.

"There was some sort of contact between the officer and the suspect and they realized it was a stolen vehicle and weapons were involved, the suspects were in possession of that," Gentry said. "When they (the suspects) got here, they couldn't make it up the hill because of a flat tire."

"I seen them turn up on the hill there and then the truck stopped and then the cops were out of the vehicles and the truck backed into the other cop car and then shots were fired. About three or four shots," witness Jason Worley said.

The witness couldn't tell if the suspects also fired shots at the officers.

Police are investigating after multiple people were shot in Kansas City, KS. Kansas City, KS Police Chief Terry Zeigler tweeted around midnight that officers were in route to a shooting in which “several people (were) shot.” No other details were immediately made available. This is a developing story. Stay tuned to KCTV5 News for more. Officers in route to 16th & Minnesota on several people shot. No other details at this time. — Terry Zeigler (@KCKPDChief) F...More >

Police are investigating after multiple people were shot in Kansas City, KS. Kansas City, KS Police Chief Terry Zeigler tweeted around midnight that officers were in route to a shooting in which “several people (were) shot.” No other details were immediately made available. This is a developing story. Stay tuned to KCTV5 News for more. Officers in route to 16th & Minnesota on several people shot. No other details at this time. — Terry Zeigler (@KCKPDChief) F...More >

A Facebook post from a local teacher that said the Florida shooting had her so on edge she was actually considering ending her 35-year career in education had us wondering how many other teachers are having that kind of internal crisis.

A Facebook post from a local teacher that said the Florida shooting had her so on edge she was actually considering ending her 35-year career in education had us wondering how many other teachers are having that kind of internal crisis.